Present day load centers are described as either surface, flush or combination to indicate the manner in which they are mounted and their general construction. Surface mount load centers are designed to mount directly to the finished wall generally by being secured directly at the rear of the box to the finished wall. Accordingly, they do not have any adjusting mechanism to move the enclosure forward or back and do not have an adjustable trim piece for the front of the box. Therefore, the trim piece which is disposed on the front of the box is secured directly to the box.
Flush mount load centers are generally used where a finished appearance is necessary. As such, they are designed to mount between adjacent wall studs. Accordingly, known load center enclosures are generally mounted from inside the box via a knock out which allows a nail, screw or other fastening device to be pushed through the knock out into the wall studs. Unfortunately, it is very typical that the installer will not know the type or thickness of the finished wall or the proposed type or thickness of the wall is changed. As such, flush devices must generally have an adjustable trim. The purpose of this is to give a finished appearance to the load center panel when the front cover is placed thereon as well as to allow the front surface of the metal enclosure to be flush with the surface of the finished wall, thereby providing a fireproof enclosure from the front to the rear of the panel.
Accordingly, it is very important to ensure that the trim is utilized and properly attached or secured to the box and the like. By way of example, finished walls may vary from 1/8 inch to 5/8 inch or more and can sometimes exceed twice or three times that amount if concrete, stucco or double thickness drywall is utilized. Therefore, any trim which is used must be adjustable to compensate for the varying types of wall construction. Moreover, if the enclosure is to far back from the surface of the finished wall, even though the trim may be able to compensate for this distance, the circuit breakers and switching devices contained therein may not be at the proper depth for mating with the trim.
Heretofore, it was possible to adjust the interior base pan upon which the devices were mounted by use of a screw mechanism. However, for cost, installation and other purposes this base pan is now typically plastic and therefore adjustable interiors are not generally used or practical. As such, it is now even more necessary that the trim itself be adjustable.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to produce a load center which may be surface or flush mounted.
It is yet another object of the present invention to produce a load center which may have its dept within the wall in which it is mounted adjustable in order to compensate for varying thickness wall finishes.
Still a further object of the present invention is to produce an adjustable load center enclosure which is simple and inexpensive to change from surface mount to flush mount.
Still a further object of the present invention is to produce an adjustable load center enclosure which does not require different or separate trims, faceplates and the like.
Yet another object of the present invention is to produce an adjustable depth load center enclosure wherein the base pan does not have to be adjustable.
It is yet another object of the present invention to produce an adjustable depth electrical enclosure, comprising an enclosure having opposing sides, a back and a front, at least one mounting bracket for affixing the enclosure to a wall element, the mounting bracket slidably attached to the enclosure so as to be moveable between the back and front of the enclosure and an adjustment mechanism rotatably attached to the enclosure and adjacent the mounting bracket, whereby rotation of the adjustment mechanism moves the enclosure with respect to the mounting bracket.